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Ben
Lecturing
About Me
- prisonerben
- United Kingdom
- Previously known as "one of Britain's best known prisoners...he constantly questions authority and exposes the futility of the system" The Times, Ben was finally released from prison after 32 years in August 2012. Pleading guilty to the murder of a friend when he was 14 years old, he renounced violence and fought for the recognition of the inherent dignity of all human beings. As a result of speaking truth to power, he served far longer than the recommended 10 years, leading Education Secretary Michael Gove to argue that he had "been punished excessively for a crime committed as a child". One of the more intellectual of prisoner-campaigners, Ben chose to educate himself from schoolboy level to having both undergraduate and post graduate degrees. He is currently one of very few prisoners in Britain ever to attempt a Doctorate. Ben's speciality is non-violent action and the Human Needs Theory. Now on Life Licence, He is forging a career as a CJ policy consultant, writer and - as ever - campaigner.
I would rather bring the poorest in society up to the standards we set for our prisoners
ReplyDeleteYesterday the Sunday Express rang me for a comment in relation to the prisoners Xmas dinner compared to pensioners. I said that it was sad that people in this uncivilised country had nothing better to complain about.
ReplyDeleteI recall the short rations we faced for weeks to pay for the Xmas dinner.
Poor prisoners. Spare a thought for them this Xmas, as they attempt to eat the thin slice of reconstituted tinned rubber turkey.
Tam, I'm not sure you'd be saying that if you knew what those standards actually are.
ReplyDeleteBen, can you start a twitter account, please, so one can follow you ?
ReplyDeleteThanks
@ Tam. Your comment is so lacking in compassion, or even fact, I can only assume you prefer revenge to rehabilitation. I pity you...
ReplyDeleteA prison (IMHO) should be a living hell for its residents filled with hard work, bland food, boredom, no luxuries and few privileges. After all, it is supposed to be punishment, right? With that said, compassion should be shown one day a year - Christmas. Fulfill the rest of my ideas and you can have a feast on Christmas.
ReplyDeleteI think what Tam means is that some of the poor / pensioners cannot afford to put the heating on, and maybe can't afford a xmas lunch with all the trimmings.
ReplyDelete@anon above. There for the grace of god! Lets hope you never default on your council tax, or tv licence, and find yourself in jail, because until you've tasted the dust of the arena, you will never know what it is like. 80% + or so, i would say are drug addicts, which i've seen first hand the misery this causes.
I don't begrudge anyone a xmas dinner, i wasn't in jail over xmas, but i was there on mothers day, and there were plenty of tears from women who were not with their kids. That is punishment enough for anyone.
Since we are in the season of Advent, when millions of people (including myself) celebrate CHRISTmas, may I just say that God decided to send an angel to announce His birth to shepherds, who were pretty much marginalised, not highly favoured people in the eyes of polite society. They were told 'Peace, goodwill to men' (translate as humankind, ye feminists!). ALL humankind - not excluding prisoners, or anyone else.
ReplyDeleteAlso if interested read Luke 4 18-19. Jesus reads out Isaiah's prophecy concerning Himself, and precisely what He came to Earth to do, and for whom. If you're one of those who think I'm just a 'bible-basher' I would invite you to read these verses (try BibleGateway.com) with an open mind and it may help to understand what true Christian discipleship is about.
Let's remember ALL people who will not be enjoying that elusive perfect Christmas with loved ones, and do what we can to bring cheer to those known to us.
Peace to you all, Jules
Well, saying as poverty is a major factor in crime, whoever attempts that argument is quite frankly an idiot. Yes, antisocial acts need to have consequences attached to them but after that, the task is to lift the person OUT of the circumstances that contributed to the crime in the first place.
ReplyDeleteNot a christian myself but I do agree with Jules. It's supposed to be observed in a spirit of peace and good will to ALL humans, not just the ones certain people deem 'worthy' of goodwill by their own highly subjective standards!
@ Tam McCourt Hunter I wouldn't subject pensioners to the food most prisoners have to endure. Just because the menu states Spag Bol, cottage pie or Christmas lunch doesn't mean to say that what ends up o your plate constitutes any of the above!
ReplyDeleteIn fact you are warned on release to take it easy with "normal food" as it'll prove too rich for the average prisoner and cause vomiting.
Lucky bastards! Aren't schoolchildren fed on 57p a meal at lunchtime. Or did I just fall into the trap of believing what Jamie Oliver says?
ReplyDelete@ Shug,
ReplyDeletehow can you compare grown men and women to schooldchilren when it comes to food? Apart from the fact that the £2.00 so objected to is for three meals. Loss of liberty is the punishment, not dehumanising, degrading treatment into the bargain!! Do we really want these people back in society worse than when they went in?
@ the other anon, I thought prison food was ok. In Holloway, i admit i was hungry, but in Cookham wood, the food wasn't bad at all. Ok, no one will award a mitchellin star, and the diet was lots of carbs.I think the catering staff do well to budget £2 a day per prisoner. And i have to say, the kitchen was spotless; and cleaner than any resturant i bet. Also, they were really strict, no utensils were used for the veggies or muslims that were used elsewhere.
ReplyDeleteAt 33p per meal per day, that's half what school kids get according to Jamie Oliver.
ReplyDelete"@ the other anon, I thought prison food was ok. In Holloway, i admit i was hungry, but in Cookham wood, the food wasn't bad at all. Ok, no one will award a mitchellin star, and the diet was lots of carbs.I think the catering staff do well to budget £2 a day per prisoner. And i have to say, the kitchen was spotless; and cleaner than any resturant i bet. Also, they were really strict, no utensils were used for the veggies or muslims that were used elsewhere. "
ReplyDeleteMy experince was from Bullingdon and to be fair yes I did hear some places were better than others but this place is was a lottery. I can never forget having to choose my menu for the next 7 days on the trot each week plus just because your padmate's meal looked edible was no guarantee that would be the case in a weeks time when it was on the menu again.
I was only in a short time (2 months) and just stuck with salad in the end. You can't fuck that up! LOL
@Queenie,
ReplyDeletetongue was firmly planted in cheek when I wrote that. £2 for xmas meal is nothing and I certainly don't object to it. I hope Ben enjoys his xmas fare.
Thanks for pointing that out JHL. I didn't know that.
@ Shug
ReplyDeleteWell in that case, lol, a very merry Christmas to you xx